ANTI INFLAMMATORY FOODS + AN INFLAMMATION FIGHTING TURMERIC SMOOTHIE

"Inflammation" and "anti-inflammatory" are huge buzzwords. What do they really mean though?

Inflammation is the process by which your immune system becomes activated in response to a foreign invader. An acute inflammatory response is crucial to our health and can save our lives in dire situations. Inflammation, however, sometimes persists and can become what we know as chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation, in recent years, has been linked to numerous life-threatening diseases including heart disease, diabetes, alzheimer's, and cancer.

Certain foods have actually been shown to prevent and fight inflammation, reducing your disease risk overall. Foods that are deemed anti-inflammatory are those deep in color and bursting with antioxidants and polyphenols. Some of these include:

Dark leafy greens and other bright/deep colored vegetables; berries; nuts and seeds; pasture raised eggs, meat and poultry; fatty omega-3 rich fish like salmon, sardines, mackerel and anchovies; beta-carotene rich foods like sweet potatoes, butternut squash and carrots; healthy monounsaturated and saturated fats like avocado, coconut butter, coconut milk, olive oil, avocado oil, sesame oil, algae oil, and coconut oil; and spices, herbs and powders like cacao powder, cinnamon, cloves, turmeric, black pepper, oregano, parsley, basil, and cilantro to name a few. 

Incorporating anti-inflammatory foods into your diet on a regular basis is a brilliant way to potentially protect yourself against disease, increase energy, lose weight, stabilize your blood sugar and get glowing, dewy skin.

One of my favorite ways to get a quick, anti-inflammatory dose is by adding turmeric into smoothies and dishes. Thanks to curcumin, the main active ingredient in turmeric, turmeric is very high in antioxidants. It's so powerful that growing evidence shows that curcumin in turmeric may block the progression of Alzheimers disease in mice.

For a simple, fun way to incorporate turmeric into your morning routine, try making this blood sugar stabilizing, fruit-free turmeric smoothie!

Inflammation Fighting Turmeric Smoothie

• 3/4 cup full fat coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• Pinch black pepper (for absorption of curcumin in turmeric)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
• 2 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon natural peanut or almond butter
• 1 cup pre-roasted butternut squash (or 3/4 cup canned)
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder like Vital Proteins Collagen Whey
• Ice

If you need a touch of extra sweetness, 1/2 banana would be perfect here.

Directions:

Add liquid first and ice last. Blend on high 2-3 minutes until perfectly smooth. Top with your favorite granola or nothing at all. <3

CHERRY POMEGRANATE SMOOTHIE

Who doesn't love pomegranate? It's sweet. It's refreshing. It's fun to eat. And its loaded with health promoting nutrients. Pomegranates boast inflammation fighting flavanols which can help prevent and treat arthritis and polyphenols which can improve cardiovascular health by lowering blood pressure and reducing plaque in the carotid arteries. They even stimulate probiotic bacteria in your gut. 

It's one of my favorite fruits because it even looks festive and is so strongly associated with the holiday season. So naturally, I created this special holiday pomegranate smoothie. I hope you love it!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1/3 frozen banana
• 1 cup steamed and then frozen zucchini slices
• 1/4 cup mint
• 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 serving organic protein powder

Directions:

Add liquid to blender first and frozen ingredients last. Blend on high for 2 minutes until smooth and voila. Happy Holidays! <3

Sweet Potato Pie in the Sky Smoothie

I love smoothies, even in cooler months. To make sure to eat with the seasons, I like creating warming smoothies with tastes of fall. This is one of my favorites.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup full fat coconut milk

1/2 cup water

1 cup steamed then frozen sweet potato chunks (skin on is fine)

1/3 frozen banana

1 teaspoon cinnamon (organic preferred)

1 serving organic protein powder

1 tablespoon chia seeds

1 tablespoon natural peanut butter or almond butter

Ice (optional)

Directions:

Whir on high for 2-3 min.

Blueberry Coconut Pie Smoothie

I love no fuss, SUPER nutrient dense smoothies that make it so that even if your lunch and dinner are less than optimal, you know your body got plenty of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals, protein, healthy fats and beneficial fiber in ONE glass. A go to?

This blueberry coconut pie smoothie:

• 3/4 cup full fat coconut milk
• 1 handful organic pre-washed spinach
• 1 cup frozen cauliflower
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 tablespoon natural almond butter
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• Organic chocolate, coconut or vanilla protein of choice (I love coconut whey protein from @vitalproteins here)
• Generous pinch organic cinnamon

Top with your fav low sugar granola. ⭐️

Chocolate Frosty Smoothie

This smoothie is thick, creamy and smooth like your favorite childhood frosty, but jam-packed with nutrients.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup unsweetened nut milk
• 1 serving organic chocolate protein powder
• 1 tablespoon cacao powder
• 1 tablespoon cacao nibs
• handful organic sprouts
• 1 cup steamed then frozen cauliflower
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon maca powder (optional)

Directions:

Blend on high 2-3 min until perfectly smooth.

Blueberry Bliss Smoothie

Blueberries are known for being high in antioxidants that help fight, reduce and repair damage from oxidative stress and inflammation in the body. But even more interesting is blueberries' ability to boost natural killer cells. These cells are part of our immune system's response to cancer cells.

Natural killer cells eliminate cancer cells by activating cancer cell suicide. Most healthy people should have about 2 billion of these guys circulating in their bloodstream at any given time. One study had runner athletes consume 1.5 cups of blueberries every day for six weeks.

Typically, natural killer cell counts decrease by about half from 2 billion to 1 billion after prolonged endurance exercise like running. After the six weeks, not only did researchers see a reduction in oxidative stress amongst the runners, but they noticed that these runners kept their natural killer cell counts at 2 billion. So, if you want to keep your immune system's rapid response team strong and ready, eat them bloobs and don't look back. 

For a blueberry fix you'll love, try my blueberry bliss smoothie:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup almond milk
• 3/4 cup frozen blueberries
• handful sprouts
• 1/2 cup roasted and then frozen pumpkin (or sweet potato/butternut squash)
• 2 tablespoon natural peanut butter
• 2 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 serving organic vanilla protein

Directions:

Blend on high for 2-3 minutes until smooth smooth smooth.

Very Cherry Smoothie

It's still cherry season in Israel, so let's say I've stocked up...and am still stocking up. Keeping your fav frozen and fresh fruits on hand is the BEST for morning smoothies. This smoothie is luscious and so icy fresh, which is much needed in humid climates (like we have here in Tel Aviv).

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups unsweetened nut or seed milk
• 3/4 cup frozen organic cherries
• 1 cup frozen organic cauliflower
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin seed butter (any nut butter will work here)
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 scoop organic vanilla protein
• huge pinch cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons cacao nibs
• 6 ice cubes

Directions:

Blend for 2-3 min and top with more frozen cherries! <3